UFC Fight Night 32's Sam Sicilia not asking for Brazilians, but getting them

He does, however, find it a little interesting that he keeps getting matched up with South Americans. Since stepping off the reality-show set, he’s fought three opponents from the continent, and will fight a fourth when he steps into the octagon with Godofredo Pepey (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 32.

“It’s just the way it goes, I guess,” Sicilia (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “I don’t really even ask who they have me against. I just say yes. I’m just a ‘shut my mouth and get my work done’ kind of guy. I’m not a racist or anything. I’m not asking for these fights, but I’m getting them.”

The event takes place Saturday at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Goias, Brazil. Main-card fights air live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on MMAjunkie.com.

Pepey and Sicilia were initially scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night 28 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, but both withdrew from the card with injuries.

Playing the role of an American heel to the fiercely nationalistic crowds seen south of the equator is something Sicilia admits he wasn’t prepared for. He said it had much more of an effect on him than he expected when he fought and lost to “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” winner Rony Jason at UFC 153.

“It is real,” he said of a rivalry between American and Brazilian fighters. “I have fought down here before. I fought the winner of that (Brazilian ‘TUF’) season, and that was an advantage (to him). That was a shock. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and I had to adapt.

“This time, I know what to expect. I came down early and I trained at CM Systems with Cristiano Marcello, so I’ve been down here for a while.”

Marcello was Sicilia’s first opponent when filming wrapped for “TUF 15,” and the two improbably struck up a friendship after he knocked out the Brazilian at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale. There is good that’s come from his dealings with fighters from the country.

At the same time, he’s lost back-to-back fights against them (his loss to Bezerra was followed by a decision setback to Maximo Blanco at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale), so something has to change.

“I’m OK wherever they send me, but the biggest thing is getting the win,” Sicilia said. “I believe I can be huge at this weight class, and brutally shut people off, and I need to start doing that. I don’t care what continent that happens on, but it needs to start happening.”

Pepey, a veteran of “TUF: Brazil,” is also looking to bounce back after a TKO loss to Felipe Arantes, so the two appear poised for an intense fight. While some fighters on losing streaks put effort into crafting meticulous game plans for upcoming fights, Sicilia likes to keep it simple.

“I’m not into dancing around,” he said. “They say, ‘Find your range.’ I know my range. I’ve got the same length of arms for every damn fight. I’m into getting in there and chucking these things around until he drops. If that takes three rounds, then whatever. If it’s shorter, that’s great.”

And if he manages to turn things around and beats a bunch of Brazilians, you can call him “The Brazilian Killa.”

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